DENVER, COLORADO — After a successful organizing campaign that concluded in April of 2017, subsequent contract negotiations, and the ratification of their first agreement, employees of Denver Transit Operators (DTO) represented by BRS Local 243 were required to go through an additional election to determine if the newly ratified agreement could contain a provision requiring an all-union agreement or “union shop”. This election, mandatory under Colorado State Law, requires that a majority of the members in the bargaining unit, or 75% of the votes cast, whichever is HIGHER, vote in favor in order to have an enforceable union shop provision. Failure to achieve this high threshold would result in Local 243 being subject to typical right-to-work (for less) laws.

The State of Colorado Department of Labor held an election on February 7, with the Members of Local 243 voting overwhelmingly (45-1) in favor of having an enforceable union shop provision in their agreement.